Mother. Mother. Kiko went through so many differeions in a short length of time. First she was relieved, that her mother actually came out to talk to her rather than just not aowledging her. Her heart swelled with etion to see this beautiful woman, full of fort aleness. And then her mind burned with fury. Why had she left? Why had she dohat to her? Why had she dragged her away from her life? Why?!

  “Why?” Kiko’s feelings spilling over to a point of speech. “Why did you leave me?” Kiko’s eyes filled with tears and was frozen to the spot, just staring mournfully.

  “We have an intricate culture. A culture of flict with The Beasts, and of disdain for the city dwellers for the betrayal. Though, it was a culture that your father disagreed with and wao keep you from. And I couldn’t stay with him tellihat I couldn’t teach you who you were. I couldn’t watch you bounce about life not knowing who you were. So I returo my d waited for him to e talk to me. To e discuss this. He never did” Yeni spoke with a mournful tone as she told the story of her absence.

  But for Kiko, she just cracked. She felt split in half down the middle at the emotional blow that she had been given. This, culture, was oo abandon your child rather than love her for who they were? Kiko felt a boili build up in her, and Ye out a light gasp before stepping forward and g her hands on both of Kiko's tail-tips as the girl began to talk.

  "I could handle you leaving me. I never knew you. But you left him, and you broke his heart, and he died. You could have been there, to save him. To support him. To make sure, he didn't die" Kiko's words were staggered and dull, her eyes just staring into bleak nothing. Seeing this, Yeni's heart swelled with a sadhat was then dampened by her mentality. Given objectivity of the situation, she pulled Kiko into her bosom and hugged tightly.

  "You have suffered so much, because of me. I only tell you why, but I knoill never be accepted, we are like night and day. Fatherborn without a father" Yeni would speak, while hugging her daughter. Ign everything, she was gd for this moment. After some time, Kiko's arms moved, and slid around Yeni's waist, huggiightly and sobbily into her chest. Today had just been...far too much. She didn't want to be around anymore, just waomorrow to e and give her some distance from all this.

  Such wishes were never given, but eventually, after what felt like ay, the deyed mentality asserted itself, and the barbed hooks in her mind fell away, leaving her only her mother.

  "What's a Fatherborn?" Kiko asked, a somewhat dry tone as she wrestled with the physical impact of hysteria.

  "We retained a strict hierarchy from the Great War. Every Kitsune has a duty, daughters to their mother and sons to their fathers. They learn their parent's craft and then aid them in it for a number of years varying from to . And theake this craft and aid the with it fain, varying number of years. Ohis duty is dohen you are free to be your own Kitsu is how we have lived for so very long, and how we survived the despair that was The Great War.

  But people are not all the same. Some men are gentle and soft, unsuited for war. Some women are vigorous and passionate, unsuited for the camp. With popution growing to a point, rger s afford to be slightly more loose orictures of duty. And so a retively ret development has been that of the Fatherborn, and Motherborn. In esse ges who your duty is to, as if you were the other.

  A Fatherborn is taught as a man is, learning the craft of her father and then fulfilling her duty to the with it. I assume from your outburst that you do not wish to learn from me. So we send you to the Fatherborn to learn from them instead" Yeni gave a deep expnation of the culture, and it eve Kiko uand the woman some. She grew up in a strict culture and could not flex around the idea of letting anrow outside it.

  Decoupling and sn to get the crap out of her nose, Kiko would nod.

  "Yea. Sounds, more my speed" Kiko would state, rubbing the dried tears out of her eyes and trying to get herself bato a proper physical state.

  "Also. Sorry to load all this onto you so soon but, tails. A Kitsuails are a mark of their age and power, the grow out every fifty to a hundred years depending osuhough, there is also a survival meism built into us that in times of interess and trauma, a ail is born to give us the capabilities to survive the ing trial. Kitsunes grow stronger and more aware of their surroundings the more tails they have, so it is treated as a social standing thing. You, were mgrieved about me than I thought and birthed your sed tail. People will see this and treat you differently than before, so be prepared for that. Also people with more tails than you will expect respect from you, which is why everyone here has their tails out stantly. To hide your tails is sidered very rude and shows you are a thief in thought or deed"

  Kiko watched, mouth a little sck from the expnation yered on to the other expnatiht before it, and just nodded.

  "...Right. I'll...try, remember, all that" Kiko muttered, scratg her head and leavio go find these Fatherborn. She'd prefer to explore herself than be guided, right now.